Parachute straps



United States Patent Inventor Albert Auguste Bath 24 Juan Latino, Cordoba, Spain Appl. No. 774,709 Filed Nov. 12, 1968 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 PARACHUTE STRAPS 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

11.8. CI... 244/149 Int. Cl B64d 17/62, B64d 17/24 Field of Search 244/ 142, 145,149,15l,147,138

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,156,294 5/1939 Kessenich 244/138 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,204 7/1921 Great Britain 244/145 1,061,475 11/1953 France 244/142 Primary ExanzinerMilton Buchler Assistant Examiner.lames E. Pittenger AttorneyNims, Halliday, Whitman, Howes & Collison ABSTRACTt Parachute strap construction incorporating elongate rigid elements spaced by a flexible linkage segment and adapted to be displaced from parallel abutting relation when the strap is in tension, said rigid elements having protecting means surrounding the terminal ends thereof and adapted to minimize abrasive deterioration of the adjacent strap material during displacement thereof.

PARACHUTE STRAPS As is well known during the opening of a parachute the canopy sometimes hangs like a torch.

The applicant is the owner of French Pat. No. 1,061,475 which relates to parachutes designed to increase the opening speed in order to avoid safely the torch like condition of the canopy.

For this purpose, according to said invention, the straps which join the edge of the canopy to the parachuted load carry alongside them a lever system which operates as soon 'as the straps are subjected to tension. The operation-of the levers imparts to the top of the strap a centrifugal spacing and oscillation which promote the rate of air inflow inside the torch" and cause the opening of the canopy whilst preventing any danger of its edges remaining joined.

According to a particular embodiment of said invention the lever system includes two arms linked with one another and which may adopt two positions: when at rest the two arms are fastened together in the extension of the strap, whereas on opening out the two arms rotate around their common pivot to become finally aligned with the strap. Preferably the two arms are joined by a device whose purpose is to delay slightly the folding out of the canopy.

Advantageously the levers consist of rigid strap lengths; this rigidity is preferably achieved by introducing in the strap, parallel to its longitudinal axis, resilient rigid rods of a suitable material, steel for instance. However, as a result of the repeated operation of this system, the ends of the rigid rods damage the inside of the strap and may even pierce it through.

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome this objectionable result and the object of the invention is a parachute strap of the type in question wherein each rigid rod has ends protected by elements of a cross section larger than the cross section of the rod itself.

FIGS. 1 to 6 show six embodiments of strap lengths according to the invention.

Each of the lengths shown is part of a strap made from a polyamide of the type known as nylon and is located between a part 1 connected to the canopy and a part 2 which is joined to the device holding the load whose landing is to be cushioned; this strap section is N-shaped and in its upward (3) and intermediate (4) limbs, following their axes, are inserted respective steel rods 5, 511,517, 50, or 5d and 6, 6a, 6b, 6c or 6d, which extend a short distance from bends 7 and 8 in the N- shaped part ofthe strap.

Rod ends 5 and 6 in FIG. 1 show rounded or olive-shaped protuberances 9 whose cross section is much greater than that of the rods themselves.

On the other hand the rods in FIGS. 2 to 6 are of constant cross section but by means of glueing, moulding, melting or anchoring, they are provided either with flexible joints 10a, 10b or 10d (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) between its adjacent ends 11 and with corner brackets 12a, 12b or 12d (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) in their opposite ends 13, or with a continuous lining 14 along the whole of limbs 3 and 4. All these protective elements may be made of a tetrafluoroethylene-based plastic material (Teflon, for instance).

Corner brackets 12a, 12d, joint 10a and lining 10d are hollow and have thinner cross section on those portions not coupled with rod ends 11 and 13. The corner brackets or hoods" 12b, and joint 10!) are only hollow at the ends which are coupled to the rods.

A nonresilient fastener is joined to bend 3 and to the area located between length l and length 3 so as to momentarily keep limbs 3 and 4 in the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5, when the folding out of the canopy begins; the leading edge of the canopy becomes thus inclined with respect to its path and this favours the folding out of the canopy thereby increasing its drag resistance and causing the fastener 15 to be severed. Fastener 15 must be designed with a strength adequate for the type of parachute concerned. A closure 17, for instance a snap closure, has been provided in order to keep limbs 3 and 4 joined durin the packin of the parachute.

According to the embo meat in Fl 6,jomts 10a, 10b and 10d and lining 14 have been replaced by corner brackets 18 similar to the ones at ends 13 as shown in FIG. 3, to protect rod ends 11.

The protective elements may have any other shape with a section greater than that of the rods and they could be made from any other material, rubber for instance. The rods themselves may be of any metal, or rigid plastic. The closure 17 could consist of a conventional adhesive system. Finally, fastener 15 could be secured by its ends to the strap by means of two snap buttons. Other minor modifications may be made in the parachute straps without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. In a parachute strap provided with an N-shaped length having two adjacent limbs rigidly kept by the axial insertion of rigid elements spaced by a flexible zone which acts as a linkage, the limbs being joined when the strap is at rest and opening out when the strap is in tension, the provision of protecting means at the ends of the said stiffening elements wherein such protecting means have a cross section greater than the cross section of the stiffening elements.

2. Parachute strap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pr0-" tecting means consist of protuberances with rounded surfaces forming part of the stiffening element itself.

3. Parachute strap as claimed in claim 1 wherein the protecting means comprise flexible material parts that cannot damage the strap, and are made in the fashion ofjoints whose ends at least are hollow so that the ends of the stiffening elements may be received inside the'sockets.

4. Parachute strap according to claim I wherein the protecting means consist of flexible material sleevelike hood members incapable of damaging the strap, and having at least one open end sized to receive and contain the portion of a stiffening element inserted therein.

5. Parachute strap according to claim 1, wherein the protective element comprises a flexible material lining incapable of damaging the strap both stiffening elements being inserted therein. 

